By Sara S. DeHart, MSN, Ph.D.

While it is a true statement that “not everyone burns” during or following radiation, skin burns and dermatitis occur in about 90% of persons treated with radiation for breast and throat cancers. This means that to minimize or avoid burns or dermatitis each patient must take the responsibility to actively treat and protect their skin on day one of radiation and continue these preventive treatments for two to three weeks following radiation.

Sara S. DeHart, MSN, Ph.D.
March 2016

I recently (2016) underwent radiation for breast cancer so I titled this piece “Act II” because this is the second round of radiation for me. The first episode occurred in 2000 for treatment of inoperable throat cancer so I consider myself fortunate that this was not a recurrence of Squamous Cell cancer of the neck, but different type of cancer to breast tissue. The breast cancer is a ductal cell type and according to the surgeon and radiologist at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance they are not related.

The type of radiation I received for breast cancer is also different than that I received for throat cancer. I reported that I was the only patient in my cohort that did not sustain a radiation burn during “Accelerated fractionated radiation” in 2000 which involved radiation twice a day during the last 2 and ½ weeks of the six week series. I have previously reported on the measures I used to prevent that radiation burn.

This paper focuses on the radiation used for breast cancer and changes in my skin during and following 34 fractions from January 21 through March 4, 2016.

First and foremost I want to report the excellent care I received from the radiation technical team as well as the entire Radiation Oncology team. The team included the Radiation Oncologist, Registered Nurse, Dosimetrist and Radiation technicians. [1]

Radiation technicians rarely get formal recognition for their work and my team provided highly competent professional care, as well making the experience a positive one. They took weekly photographs for me to document skin changes. [2] I recommend that patients who are undergoing radiation ask for this documentation and follow up with their own photographs post radiation. This is the best way to track skin changes.

What happened this time compared with the 2000 radiation?

With the latest radiation series, a bolus (flat piece of rubber-like material) was placed on the skin to increase the radiation dose to the skin and the tissues just below it. This causes the skin to become increasingly reddened and vulnerable to burn formation.

In addition to the bolus, many breast cancer radiation patients also get an extra dose of radiation that is directed to a circumscribed area. This is termed a “boost”. My boost was directed to the axilla (arm pit) and the area along the mastectomy incision line.  This area needs special attention during the boost period, as well as for the two week period following radiation.

I have made appropriate modifications in the original paper on “minimizing radiation burns” to reflect these changes.

Patients who are to undergo radiation for head, neck and breast cancer learn about a litany of possible side effects from the treatment. Among the warnings I received was that about 90% of patients will experience some radiation dermatitis. What the doctor meant was that skin burns occur in about 90% of all patients receiving radiation to the head and neck. The odds are about the same for breast cancer.

With my breast cancer pre-radiation instructions, concerns about a radiation burn were downplayed. I think this is unwise. Patients need to learn that the potential for a radiation burn is real and using terms such as “it is like sunburn and will heal once radiation is finished” does not alert them to the active role patients must play to prevent radiation dermatitis.

Both the Radiation Oncologist and Registered Nurse emphasized that skin care following the end of radiation is important. It is very easy to forget about the irradiated area once treatments are finished, but radiation is a treatment that just keeps on giving so a radiation burn is still possible even though radiation treatments are finished. At 7 days post radiation my skin showed signs of flaking although there were no signs of an active burn. Once I was in the post radiation period I began to use pure lavender essential oil on the reddened areas, as well as using Lavender Healing Mist (LHM) and Boiron Calendula Gel. I continued using Green Tea solution once a day.  

The location of the area to be irradiated makes a difference. Head, neck and breast cancer patients are very prone to develop radiation burns. Areas of the body that have skin folds such as the groin are also at high risk because of a “bolus effect” (skin folds can cause a higher radiation dosage to the skin). The need to take meticulous care of the skin during radiation and for two to three weeks following completion of radiation is well documented in the literature.

The Salvo, et al. (2010) review of 33 prophylactic (prevention) trials reported that topical corticosteroids were the most common agents used, and that Biafine Cream was not found to be superior to standard regimes in the prevention and management of acute radiation-induced skin reactions. [3]

According to the research literature, the most common methods for preventing and minimizing skin reactions to the irradiated area are the use of corticosteroid creams and Aloe vera or other lanolin-free products. But are corticosteroid creams, Aloe Vera creams and other prescription formulations the best remedies to use? The research literature does not answer that question.

If standard remedies and prescription drugs are not particularly effective or are prohibitively expensive, then should we look for alternative therapies?

What did a search of the alternative literature reveal?

My initial search revealed that tannic acid made from green tea is a potent burn treatment remedy. This was initially reported by two Cleveland Ohio surgeons in 1926. [4] It was because of their work that the extensive burns I experienced at age 6 were successfully treated with tannic acid solution. (See Burning Karma http://quinary5.com).

This literature search also revealed that in 1910 Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist was severely burned on both hands. In his book Aromatherapy, he wrote just one rinse with lavender essential oil stopped the gasification of the tissue. He later began using and studying the effects of lavender essential oil on burned soldiers in military hospitals during World War I. [5]

DeHart and Whalen [6] documented that the use of lavender hydrosol with lavender essential oil in the formula is effective in the treatment of minor burns. Their data show that a first degree burn (redness) can often be prevented from becoming a blister or second degree burn.

Lavender Hydrosol with Essential Oil provides a powerful protection to the skin and is especially effective to protect the skin and minimize radiation skin burns. Pure Lavender Essential Oil is highly effective to treat burns, but prior to an actual burn, lavender hydrosol with essential oil appears to offer better protection for the skin.

Calendula has been used for medicinal purposes since the 12th Century. [7] The University of Maryland recently reported that Calendula has been shown to help prevent dermatitis or skin inflammation in breast cancer patients during radiation therapy. Calendula gel is generally considered safe to use on the skin except for people who are allergic to plants in the daisy or aster family including chrysanthemums and ragweed; these people may have an allergic reaction to calendula (usually a skin rash).

Several Radiation Treatment Centers recommend Calendula but do not specify the type of formulation. Nor, as a rule do these centers specify how soon to begin a prophylactic or preventative regime. My clinical observations led me to recommend Calendula Gel by Boiron. (Please note that I do not have a professional affiliation with the Boiron Company).

Since Salvo and others note that skin damage begins with the first radiation treatment, it is important to begin any burn preventative regime on the first day of radiation. Skin damage occurs even when it is not yet visible.

Protocol I used to minimize radiation skin burns

My first (DeHart) radiation series (Accelerated Fractionated Radiation) involved radiation once a day for 3 ½ weeks and twice a day for the final 2 ½ weeks of treatment. I was at high risk for a radiation burn. I previously described that saga on http://quinary5.com (Radiation Skin Care: How I avoided a radiation skin burn.) [8]

I want to pass onto others what I learned during those six weeks of treatment that may be helpful for others to minimize skin damage while undergoing radiation therapy. I also want to pass onto others what I’ve learned through my second round of radiation.

It is very important to:

• Begin the burn prevention treatment on day 1 of radiation.
• Wash area as soon as possible after treatment with green tea. (Use cotton pads. Do not use soap or rub area vigorously. Green tea solution is made with a YogicTea bag steeped in hot water. Refrigerate to prevent mold.) YogicTea is a brand name and other organic green teas may also work.
• Spray entire area with Lavender Healing Mist (special preparation)
• Breast area: include axilla (arm pits) to protect scatter radiation areas. If the axilla is also a target area because of lymph node involvement then be meticulous in protecting that area. The area just above the clavicle in the neck is also frequently radiated because of its rich source of lymph nodes. Do not neglect any area that is radiated.
• Apply Calendula GEL to the radiated area. (Calendula Gel is available through Amazon.com and some health stores.) Do not use the ointment form of Calendula or Calendula Plus. These have an oil base that may cause the skin to burn when irradiated. (Note: I did this treatment in the hospital bathroom immediately following radiation and then repeated the procedure at home.)
• Do the green tea, Lavender Healing Mist and Calendula gel treatment 3 times per day.
• Pay special attention to the skin during the radiation boost.
• Continue green tea, Lavender Healing Mist and Calendula Gel treatment for at least 2 weeks following the end of Radiation Treatment.
• AVOID oil based preparations on the irradiated area. Oil causes the skin to burn during radiation.
• AVOID swimming because of chlorine in the water
• The Radiation Nurse will ask you to avoid Antiperspirants (Ask about Tom’s of Maine unscented natural deodorant.)
• The Radiation Nurse may provide you with a gel to use on your skin. This is o.k. to use, but only in addition to the preparations I suggest. I did not use University of WA Hospital preparation and I was the only person who did not burn in the cohort that began treatment at the same time I did. Please do not have any preparation on your skin prior to radiation treatment.
• Please follow my protocol carefully. Radiation burns are difficult to treat and heal. If you schedule your treatments after work and can then go home to do the burn prevention treatments it is somewhat easier than having to go back to work. This tends to delay prevention treatments.
• Note: Lavender Healing Mist is a distillation of lavender hydrosol with the essential oil left in the mixture.  If the essential oil is siphoned off the hydrosol it is less effective as a burn treatment.
• Discuss this option with your Radiologist. The protocol is provided for information only and should not be construed as medical advice.

Patient Comments

The following comment is from the wife of a man who recently completed radiation of the neck for inoperatable throat cancer.

“Your treatment for his neck has been a miracle. He has some redness and a little roughness, but nothing like what they were preparing him for. One of the nurses was so excited about this treatment that she wrote everything down and was holding a “clinic” with the other nurses.”

Safe Sources to purchase Lavender Hydrosol

http://www.pelindabalavender.com/Organic-Lavender-Healing-Mist-p/179.htm?Click=5342

Pelindaba Lavender Farm crafts an organic lavender hydrosol that incorporates Lavender essential oil into the formula to create Lavender Healing Mist (LHM) that is an effective product to minimize radiation burns. This product is also effective to treat minor kitchen burns.

Beware of fake hydrosols that are made from adding a few drops of Lavender essential oil to water. This practice is probably more wide spread than is generally recognized by the general public or even some health stores that sell lavender products.

European “flower water” is a true hydrosol, while American versions may not be a hydrosol.

What to look for when buying Lavender Essential Oil and Hydrosol

• Always purchase pure unadulterated hydrosol and essential oils.
• Certified organic lavender is very important though some trusted growers do not have this stamp of approval but guarantee that their plants are grown without pesticides.
• Do not purchase lavender essential oil stored in plastic bottles.
• The pH of the hydrosol should be slightly acidic or between the 5-6 range.
• A word of warning: take care when buying hydrosols because re-constituted counterfeit products are sold in some health stores and on the Internet.

Please contact Sara DeHart at the e-mail listed below with any questions.  Be sure to check http://quinary5.com for indepth information about burns and the use of Lavender Healing Mist.

References

[1] Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (206.368.5808). Radiologist Dr. Waylene Wong, MD and Angie Larsh, RN provided excellent care.
[2]  I want to comment on the extraordinary care I received from the team of Radiation Technicians that provided my treatments.

Lisa Marie Lam Landon, RTT
Jeffrey Womeldorf, RTT
Rudy Estioco, RTT
Mark Huether, RTT

Not only did each member of the team provide highly competent professional care, but also made my radiation treatments a positive experience

[3] Salvo, N, Barnes, E, Van Draanen, J. et al. Prophylaxis and management of acute radiation-induced skin reactions: A systematic review of the literature.  Curr Oncol. 2010: 17(4) p. 94-112.
[4] Beck, CS, and Powers JH, Burns treated by Tannic Acid. Ann Surg 1926: 84 p. 19-36.
[5] Rene-Maurice Gattefosse (1910). Aromatherapy
[6] DeHart, S. and Whalen, K.M. (2014) The Essential Burn Book for Baristas and Cooks: A nurse’s fast action secrets to stop pain and minimize blisters. Amazon.com Kindle book.
[7] Calendula (2013. University of Maryland. http://ummedu/health/medical/altmed/herbv/calendula
[8] http://quinary5.com (Radiation Skin Care: How I avoided a radiation skin burn.)

Sara DeHart, MSN, Ph.D.
425.673.5729
sdehart@dehartresearch.com
dehart.ss@frontier.com
http://quinary5.com

by Sara S. DeHart, MSN, Ph.D.
July 2015

Patients who are to undergo radiation for head, neck and breast cancer learn about a litany of possible side effects from the treatment. Among the warnings I received was that about 90% of patients will experience some radiation dermatitis. What the doctor meant was that skin burns occur in about 90% of all patients receiving radiation to the head and neck. The odds are about the same for breast cancer.

The location of the area to be irradiated makes a difference. Head, neck and breast cancer patients are very prone to develop radiation burns. Areas of the body that have skin folds, such as the groin are also at high risk because of a “bolus effect” (skin folds can cause a higher radiation dosage to the skin). The need to take meticulous care of the skin during radiation and for two to three weeks following completion of radiation is well documented in the literature.

The Salvo, et al. (2010) review of 33 prophylactic (prevention) trials reported that topical corticosteroids were the most common agents used, and that Biafine Cream was not found to be superior to standard regimes in the prevention and management of acute radiation-induced skin reactions. [1]

According to the research literature, the most common methods for preventing and minimizing skin reactions to the irradiated area are the use of corticosteroid creams and Aloe vera or other lanolin-free products. But are corticosteroid creams, Aloe Vera creams and other prescription formulations the best remedies to use? The research literature does not answer that question.

If standard remedies and prescription drugs are not particularly effective or are prohibitively expensive, then should we look for alternative therapies?

What did a search of the alternative literature reveal?
My initial search revealed that tannic acid made from green tea is a potent burn treatment remedy. This was initially reported by two Cleveland Ohio surgeons in 1926. [2] It was because of their work that the extensive burns I experienced at age 6 were successfully treated with tannic acid solution. (See Burning Karma on Quinary5.com).

This literature search also revealed that in 1910 Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist was severely burned on both hands. In his book Aromatherapy, he wrote just one rinse with lavender essential oil stopped the gasification of the tissue. He later began using and studying the effects of lavender essential oil on burned soldiers in military hospitals during World War I. [3]

DeHart and Whalen [4] documented that the use of lavender hydrosol with lavender essential oil in the formula is effective in the treatment of minor burns. Their data show that a first degree burn (redness) can often be prevented from becoming a blister or second degree burn.

Lavender Hydrosol with Essential Oil provides a powerful protection to the skin and is especially effective to protect the skin and minimize radiation skin burns. Pure Lavender Essential Oil is highly effective to treat burns, but prior to an actual burn, lavender hydrosol with essential oil appears to offer better protection for the skin.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Calendula has been used for medicinal purposes since the 12^th Century. [5] The University of Maryland recently reported that Calendula has been shown to help prevent dermatitis or skin inflammation in breast cancer patients during radiation therapy. Calendula gel is generally considered safe to use on the skin except for people who are allergic to plants in the daisy or aster family including chrysanthemums and ragweed; these people may have an allergic reaction to calendula (usually a skin rash).

Several Radiation Treatment Centers recommend Calendula but do not specify the type of formulation. Nor, as a rule do these centers specify how soon to begin a prophylactic or preventative regime. My clinical observations led me to recommend Calendula Gel by Boiron. (Please note that I do not have a professional affiliation with the Boiron Company).

Since Salvo and others note that skin damage begins with the first radiation treatment, it is important to begin any burn preventative regime on the first day of radiation. Skin damage occurrs even when it is not yet visible.

Protocol I used to minimize radiation skin burns
My (DeHart) radiation series (Accelerated Fractionated Radiation) involved radiation once a day for 3 ½ weeks and twice a day for the final 2 ½ weeks of treatment. I was at high risk for a radiation burn. I previously described that saga on http://quinary5.com (Radiation Skin Care: How I avoided a radiation skin burn.) [6] I want to pass onto others what I learned during those six weeks of treatment that may be helpful for others to minimize skin damage while undergoing radiation therapy.

It is very important to:

• Begin the burn prevention treatment on day 1 of radiation.
• Wash area as soon as possible after treatment with green tea. (Use cotton pads. Do not use soap or rub area vigorously. Green tea solution is made with a YogicTea bag steeped in hot water. Refrigerate to prevent mold.) YogicTea is a brand name and other organic green teas may also work.
• Spray entire area with Lavender Healing Mist (special preparation)
• Breast area: include axilla (arm pits) to protect scatter radiation areas.
• Apply Calendula GEL to the radiated area. (Calendula Gel is available through Amazon.com and some health stores.) Do not use the ointment form of Calendula or Calendula Plus. These have an oil base that may cause the skin to burn when irradiated. (Note: I did this treatment in the hospital bathroom immediately following radiation and then repeated the procedure at home.)
• Do the green tea, Lavender Healing Mist and Calendula gel treatment 3 times per day.
• Continue green tea, Lavender Healing Mist and Calendula Gel treatment for at least 2 weeks following the end of Radiation Treatment.
• AVOID oil based preparations on the irradiated area. Oil causes the skin to burn during radiation.
• AVOID swimming because of chlorine in the water
• The Radiation Nurse will ask you to avoid Antiperspirants (Ask about Tom’s of Maine unscented natural deodorant.)
• The Radiation Nurse may provide you with a gel to use on your skin. This is o.k. to use, but only in addition to the preparations I suggest. I did not use University of WA Hospital preparation and I was the only person who did not burn in the cohort that began treatment at the same time I did. Please do not have any preparation on your skin prior to radiation treatment.
• Please follow my protocol carefully. Radiation burns are difficult to treat and heal. If you schedule your treatments after work and can then go home to do the burn prevention treatments it is somewhat easier than having to go back to work. This tends to delay prevention treatments.
• Note: Lavender Healing Mist is a distillation of lavender hydrosol with the essential oil left in the mixture.  If the essential oil is siphoned off the hydrosol it is less effective as a burn treatment.
• Discuss this option with your Radiologist. The protocol is provided for information only and should not be construed as medical advice.

Patient Comments
The following comment is from the wife of a man who recently completed radiation of the neck for inoperatable throat cancer.

“Your treatment for his neck has been a miracle. He has some redness and a little roughness, but nothing like what they were preparing him for. One of the nurses was so excited about this treatment that she wrote everything down and was holding a “clinic” with the other nurses.”

Safe Sources to purchase Lavender Hydrosol
Beware of fake hydrosols that are made from adding a few drops of Lavender essential oil to water. This practice is probably more wide spread than is generally recognized by the general public or even some health stores that sell lavender products.

Pelindaba Lavender is a safe and reliable source:

http://store.pelindabalavender.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=179&Click=5342

European “flower water” is a true hydrosol, while American versions may not be a hydrosol.

What to look for when buying Lavender Essential Oil and Hydrosol

• Always purchase pure unadulterated hydrosol and essential oils.
• Certified organic lavender is very important though some trusted growers do not have this stamp of approval but guarantee that their plants are grown without pesticides.
• Do not purchase lavender essential oil stored in plastic bottles.
• The pH of the hydrosol should be slightly acidic or between the 5-6 range.
• A word of warning: take care when buying hydrosols because re-constituted counterfeit products are sold in some health stores and on the Internet.
• Organic Lavender Hydrosol from Pelindaba is a reliable and safe source
• http://www.pelindabalavender.com/Organic-Lavender-Healing-Mist-p/179.htm?Click=5342

Please contact Sara DeHart at the e-mail listed below with any questions.  Be sure to check http://quinary5.com for in depth information about burns and the use of Lavender Healing Mist. 

References
[1]        Salvo, N, Barnes, E, Van Draanen, J. et al. Prophylaxis and management of acute radiation-induced skin reactions: A systematic review of the literature.  Curr Oncol. 2010: 17(4) p. 94-112.
[2]        Beck, CS, and Powers JH, Burns treated by Tannic Acid. Ann Surg 1926: 84 p. 19-36.
[3]        Rene-Maurice Gattefosse (1910). Aromatherapy
[4]        DeHart, S. and Whalen, K.M. (2014) The Essential Burn Book for Baristas and Cooks: A nurse’s fast action secrets to stop pain and minimize blisters. Amazon.com Kindle book.
[5]       Calendula (2013. University of Maryland. http://ummedu/health/medical/altmed/herbv/calendula
[6]        http://quinary5.com (Radiation Skin Care: How I avoided a radiation skin burn.)

Sara DeHart, MSN, Ph.D.
425.673.5729
sdehart@dehartresearch.com
dehart.ss@frontier.com
http://quinary5.com

Sara S. DeHart, MSN, PhD
October 2, 2014

HOW I SAVED MY SKIN

I was facing radiation to my neck with a 90% chance of a serious skin burn. As the Radiologist described the almost certain side effects, I knew one thing for sure─I did not want my skin to burn.

As the Radiologist listed the potential (almost certain) side effects I was about to experience as the six week radiation series was to begin to my neck and jaw, I clearly heard two things. The first: About 90% of patients will experience some radiation dermatitis, by which she meant some degree of skin burns. The second thing I heard: You must swallow throughout the day to keep your throat open. If your throat gets too painful to swallow, you will need to have a gastric feeding tube surgically inserted.

 For me this meant that I would likely burn inside and outside.

She told me to swallow something every half hour during my waking hours—and I did. It certainly helped, and I avoided the dreaded Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastronomy (PEG) surgical procedure. The tube allows feeding directly into the stomach.

WHAT MY EXCELLENT DOCTOR DID NOT TELL ME

This excellent radiologist did not tell me that radiation burns can be avoided, so I asked: Has anyone in your experience avoided these side effects? Her answer saved my skin. “We had one patient who did acupuncture plus some other alternative treatments, and she had fewer side effects than most people. But I do not recall specifically what she did”.

My Radiologist did not actually tell me that burns can be avoided; I figured it out because I have some painful burn karma, and a radiation burn is high on my bucket list of something to avoid. (See http://quinary5.com/burning-karma/).

 For me, the hunt was on. I wanted to know what alternative treatments were available to lessen radiation side effects.

The literature search on burn treatments unearthed some surprising snippets of information that literally saved my skin.

• I discovered that to save my skin during radiation, I needed to treat the burn before it happened.
• I combined 3 complementary burn treatments that are documented as effective to treat burns, and decided instead to use them to prevent burning during radiation.
• In essence, I turned effective burn treatments on their head, and used them to prevent radiation burns.

I did not burn even though I am fair-skinned and the treatment involved radiation twice a day for the last 2 ½ weeks. That last 2 ½ weeks are tough; this is the time that many patients drop out of treatment.

I was the only person that did not suffer a burn in my group that started fractionated accelerated radiation the same week that I did.

DID I BREAK THE RADIATION EQUIPMENT?

 At week 4, I was on the table awaiting the radiation treatment for about 15 minutes which is very unusual. I could hear the Radiologist and technicians discussing my treatment in the next room. Finally, the technician came in to tell me that they were discussing the condition of my skin because I wasn’t burning like everyone else. They needed to check whether I was receiving the correct dosage of radiation. Only then could I say Spot on—I am on target.

The technician asked me what I was using on my skin and I told her I would tell her on the last treatment day. I did tell her that I treated the irradiated area from day one and would continue to treat my skin for 2 weeks after radiation was finished. For those people I’ve counseled through radiation, this is the second most important thing for them to know.

YOU CAN BURN EVEN AFTER RADIATION IS FINISHED

You can burn even after radiation treatments are finished──so continue to treat your skin for at least 2 weeks after the last session.

The third bit of information that some people do not hear is that you must treat your skin beyond the area that you think is being irradiated. Breast cancer patients must include both axilla (arm pits) or a nasty little burn can develop about 5 days after treatments are finished. If the neck is irradiated then include the jaw, nose and cheek bones in your protective area.

On the last day of treatment I did not give candy to the technicians. I gave them the protocol that I’d developed.

I also made every effort for the radiation treatment center at a major university hospital to conduct a clinical trial of the protocol.

I had no luck with those efforts so I began spreading the word to patients about to undergo radiation about the protocol. I had success with this effort and about 30 people have used the protocol and did not burn with radiation.

But often people do not hear the first mandate: Treat on Day 1 of radiation. You must keep ahead of the potential burn and there are some basic rules that must be followed.

Radiation Skin Care: A Nurse’s Comprehensive Guide to minimize skin damage during radiation  (DeHart and Whalen) will be published as a Kindle e-book December 2014.

Please check for updates on my website (http://quinary5.com) and face book page

http://facebook.com/sara.dehart.5

The healing powers of lavender for burns and other minor injuries

from http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/13580

– Article from: http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/13580#sthash.pOtDyyRn.dpuf

Now that the sun is shinning in the Northwest I am getting multiple questions about using Lavender Hydrosol with Lavender Essential to prevent and treat sunburns. The short answer is “yes” lavender Essential Oil and hydrosol are powerful healing aids for sunburn.

Cell regeneration and wound healing properties of Essential Oils is profound and according to Jimm Harrison, this healing is one of the more intriguing properties of the oils. Although the chemistry of Essential Oils is well known, the biology of exactly how specific Essential Oils work is more elusive. We know a great deal about Lavender Essential Oils and its effects on burns—including sunburns but exactly why it is so effective eludes researchers. We do know that using a few drops of Lavender Essential Oil in water is less effective as a burn treatment than using a Lavender Hydrosol with the essential oils left in the hydrosol which is very effective as a sunburn treatment. To see how quickly healing takes place when applying Lavender Essential Oil to sunburn will make a believer out of most people.

The big problem is remembering to take an easy-carry form of Lavender Essential Oil or Hydrosol with you while basking in the sun. www.pelindabalavender.com makes this very easy with three of their products:

Safe sources to purchase Lavender Hydrosol and Lavender Essential Oils:

Organic Lavender Essential Oil 5ml
http://store.pelindabalavender.com/Organic-Lavender-Essential-Oil-p/209.htmClick=5342

Organic Lavender Essential Oil 10ml roll-on
http://store.pelindabalavender.com/Organic-Lavender-Essential-Oil-Roll-on-p/616.htmClick=5342

Lavender Treatment Stick
http://store.pelindabalavender.com/Lavender-Treatment-Stick-p/241.htmClick=5342

http://store.pelindabalavender.com/?Click=5342

by Sara DeHart, The Lavender Lady

Are some people prone to suffer burns—large and small rather than other types of accidents? I’ve come to believe that this may be their karma. And I believe it may be mine.

I was 6 years old—It was a cold winter Ohio Sunday morning and my dad had built a fire in the pot belly stove in the living room. He left the door to the stove open and then went to the kitchen to start the fire in the wood cooking stove. I came down the stairs and backed into the stove; my nightgown caught fire. I screamed and ran—not towards the kitchen with my family but back up the stairs. My mother caught me at the top of the stairs; I was engulfed in flames. She’d grabbed her winter coat along the way. She wrapped me in her coat to smother the flames while pulling my burning nightgown away from my body with her bare hands. My burns covered my back to behind my knees. At least 20% of my body was burned. My mother’s hand was a blistering mess. These were 2^nd degree burns (pain and blisters).

I can close my eyes and still recall the pain. Doctors give morphine with extensive burns because of the pain; that wasn’t an option for me or my mother. We endured the pain.

But what is most interesting is that the doctor was not called because there was no money for doctors in the 1930s and we were both treated by Ross, a neighbor and the man who ran the first aid station at the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Company. He came to the house soon after the accident happened and just took charge. He treated our burns with a solution he made from a brown powder. He used strips from a worn cotton sheet soaked in the solution and these were laid on my back while I was told to keep quiet and lie on my stomach.  He came every day to bandage my burns and to treat my mother’s hand. He was skilled and there is no doubt that he’d treated a lot of burns at the steel company where both he and my dad worked.

What is surprising is that neither my mother nor I scarred nor were our burns infected. It was that experience that has led me to a lifetime of searching for burn remedies.

I was curious about what was used to treat our burns. One of Ross’s comments to my parents “it is made from tea and will help” finally led me to the surgical archives that included a fascinating 1928 article titled Burns treated by tannic acid. [1]

Some brief excerpts from that article mirrored the treatment that we received that day and for several days following the accident.

The burned area is covered with dry gauze pads that are held into place by sterile gauze bandages. This dressing is then soaked with a 2.5% tannic acid solution.

The striking and most important features of the tannic acid treatment are: (1) the control of toxicity; (2) the simplicity of the method; and (3) the comfort of the patient. They also document the lack of scarring in patients treated with tannic acid soaks.

The surgeon’s final note helps explain why my mother and I were so lucky. Tannic acid treatment should form an important adjunct to the equipment of first-aid stations of steel mills, mines, factories, etc., so that immediate application, either by means of compresses or spray can be carried out promptly.
Was it luck or karma that put a steel mill medic in the right place with the best treatment of the day into our home to treat our burns? I am often reminded of the Babylon proverb:

If a man be lucky, (you can) pitch him into he Euphrates and he will likely swim out with a pearl in his hand. [2]

Lots of children were severely burned in that era of coal and wood stoves and icy-cold conditions in homes without furnaces. Many did not survive or were badly scarred.

I was lucky on two fronts: first, my extensive burns did not kill me. Nor did I scar. My mother did not lose the function of her hand from scarring contractures. Secondly, that searing experience led me to a life long quest for knowledge about the treatment of burns.

[1] Beck, C.S. MD; Powers, J. H. MD Burns treated by tannic acid. Ann. Surg. (1926), 84 (1); p. 19-36.

[2] Clason, G.S.The Richest Man in Babylon. New York: Hawthorne Books, p.55.

I published two previous case studies on the use of Strontium Citrate to treat severe osteoporosis in 2008 and 2010. [1,2] The purpose of this third article is to document my progress using data from my most current bone mineral density (BMD) test results (September, 2012). According to the WHO classification these BMD results are normal and my fracture risk is not increased from 2010. In this report I have not documented earlier test results prior to a sacral fracture (2003) or a nontraumatic fracture of T-9 (2006).

Interpreting T-Score Evaluation

There is scientific value in case study reports especially when data are available over a six year period of time and variables that may influence outcome are carefully documented.

This is my personal journey and not necessarily a recommendation of treatment options for others though I think it is wise for women to know some of the pitfalls that are out there in this era of modern Western Medicine.

In 1995, at age 63 I had my first BMD test and the results were alarming: I fell more than two standard deviations below the expected mineral density and this represented a “marked increase in fracture risk.” I was placed on Fosamax 10 mg. daily and Estraderm patches twice weekly. The Estraderm was discontinued in 1997 because of concerns revealed by the Women’s Health Study. I discontinued Fosamax in 1998 because of severe muscle pain and concerns then being reported in the literature about esophageal damage from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). [4]

My BMD was stable even after discontinuing bisphosphonate drugs but I had a nontraumatic fracture of the sacrum in 2004 and was placed on Actonel 5 mg five times a week. My Vitamin D3 level was tested and it was quite low (< 20 ng/mL); this level is considered inadequate for bone and overall health.

This result surprised me because I had supplemented with Vitamin D3 400 IU/daily throughout my adult life. The most current NIH factsheet recommends 600 IU for women between the ages of 51–70 years of age and 800 IU for women over the age of 70.

The nontraumatic sacrum fracture and low serum Vitamin D3 level got my attention and I began to independently search the literature on bone health and various treatment modalities. Following this review of the literature I increased my Vitamin D3 supplementation to 5000 IU daily during the fall and winter months and 4000 IU spring and summer.

These reviews also alerted me to ongoing Strontium Ranelate studies being conducted in Europe. Previous to these clinical trials the only American data available on Strontium was a small study (32 severely osteoporotic women) conducted in 1955 at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN. (See my first case report published in 2008 for details of this study and the European clinical trials on Strontium Ranelate. [1]

I followed standards of care medical recommendations until I developed my second vertebral nontraumatic fracture of T9 in 2006. At that point I dropped the current bisphosphonate drug (Actonel) and began taking Strontium Citrate. I first used the research dosage reported in the European trials with Strontium Ranelate (1000–2000 mg/day) but as more literature emerged from alternative medicine sources I decreased the dosage of Strontium Citrate to 725 mg. The current recommendation is between 340 mg and 680 mg. The smaller dose (340 mg) is recommended to maintain and prevent bone loss from occurring, while the larger dosage (680 mg) can help treat osteoporosis. [5]

It is clear from my data and also from published clinical trials that Strontium increases bone mineral density (BMD), but the gold standard is whether the mineral will prevent fractures in the event of a traumatic fall. In 2009 I experienced the gold standard test when I tripped while gardening and fell onto an asphalt driveway. I just had time to wrap my arms around my chest before my shoulder and hip hit the asphalt. My ribs were sore for about 10 days but nothing fractured; my hip and shoulder were intact.

While taking the larger dosage (1,000—2000mg), I developed muscle tetany from a drop in serum calcium levels. Strontium replaces calcium because it is a heavier mineral so it is vital that while taking Strontium in any form that it is separated by at least 2 hours (4 is better) from calcium supplementation or calcium rich foods. Do not use any supplement that combines Strontium and calcium. I am now very careful about following this rule: take more calcium than Strontium Citrate and separate the timing for taking the two minerals by several hours.

Are Strontium and calcium alone enough to protect bone? A question recently raised in the research literature is whether bone and cardiac health are related? Are Vitamins K1 and K2 the missing links to the epidemic of osteoporosis and arterial calcification? See my review of bone and cardiac health published in 2011. [6]

On the strength of the Vitamin K2 (MK-7) research I added 90 mcg MK-7 to my supplements. If calcium does not move from the arterial system into bone it tends to attach itself to arterial vessel walls and causes arterial calcification or “hardening of the arteries.” At that time I also reduced my Strontium dosage to 500 mg 5 days/week.

So what happened to my BMD levels between 2010 and 2012? The lumbar spine increased from +0.2 to +0.5 but the left hip decreased slightly from -0.5 to -0.8. Both of these scores are within normal limits but bear watching and reassessment in two years.

Another score that needs to be carefully monitored is height. At age 60 my height was 67”; by age 80 my height had decreased to 64.8” reflecting a 2.2 inch loss. People typically lose about ½ inch every 10 years after the age of 40 with a greater acceleration in height loss after the age of 70. It remains to be seen if I can minimize this loss through daily stretching exercises.

A five-year experimental study with placebo controls of 1,500 women age 80 and above was conducted in Australia. The results are impressive. The group of women who took Strontium, Vitamin D3 and calcium had a reduced fracture risk: Vertebral (31%), hip (24%) and all major nonvertebral sites (33%). (Strontium Ranelate was the experimental variable while the placebo group took both calcium and Vitamin D3 but no strontium.) [7]

Both women and men aged 80 and above are at significant risk for fractures but there are limited data on preventive measures for this age group. Is it time for Western Medicine to move out of the Standards of Care paradigm that forbids them from recommending Strontium Citrate because it has not been sanctioned by FDA?

A myriad of problems with bisphosphonate drugs have been reported in the medical and lay literature but these data rarely get translated into Standards of Care. The most damning data about the bisphosphonate drug Fosamax appeared on the Diane Sawyer Good Morning America program March 9, 2010. She reported a number of femur (thigh bone) fractures in women who had taken the drug longer than 5 years. [8] Osteonecrosis of the jaw bone has been reported for patients taking bisphosphonate drugs for at least ten years. Oral surgeons now routinely ask about Fosamax and Actonel use prior to tooth extraction. Use of any of the bisphosphonate drugs make them extremely cautious.

Both Merck, the manufacturer of Fosamax, and FDA have been slow to act; however a suggestion that Fosamax use should be limited to 5 years now appears in the Merck literature, but this may be a maneuver to protect the company from lawsuits rather than concerns about patient safety and welfare. I question whether a drug that only inhibits removal of osteoclasts from bone should ever have been approved in the first place.

Where does all this information leave most postmenopausal women? Essentially we are “on our own” because discussions of the mineral Strontium Citrate are not part of patient-physician visits and patients must be fairly assertive to introduce the topic.

We need to know what happens when Strontium Citrate, Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2 are added to supplement regimes. I have revealed my personal BMD test results to add to the clinical data base. When will we get some well-funded studies of Strontium Citrate? This will never happen because pharmaceutical companies cannot patent a natural mineral and their studies are the only ones that count with the FDA in their approval process.

As a final note, we await a large clinical study of the effect of Vitamin K2 on arterial vessel walls and bone matrix. The data are intriguing but a recommendation needs to go into standards of care about its use to prevent arthrosclerosis, osteoporosis and osteopenia. I added Vitamin K2, without medical approval, and the only data I can personally report is when a recent ultrasound was done on my neck to check for a thyroid enlargement, the radiologist commented to the technician that my carotid artery had minimal plaque. This is in contrast to a CT-scan report in 2004 that the carotid artery showed “considerable vascular calcifications indicating arthrosclerosis.” Since that time I’ve become a VEGAN and added Vitamin K2. My lipid panel results are excellent with a total cholesterol of 163 mg/dL and an HDL of 57 mg/dL; a level that is protective against heart disease.

These data are impressive for an 80-year-old woman with a history of osteoporosis and throat cancer. But that is another story that I will write about in a future case study report.

References

[1] DeHart, Sara S. (2008). Strontium and osteoporosis: A treatment not offered to American women.
[2] DeHart, Sara S. (2010). Strontium and osteoporosis II: On our own.
[3] Modern Medicine (2010). Before the breaking point: Predicting and reducing fracture risk.
[4] Picco, M.F. M.D. Mayo Clinic Staff (2012). GERD: Can certain medications increase severity?
[5] Pizzorno, L. MA, LMT with Wright, J.V. M.D. (2010). Your Bones. Praktikos, Mt. Jackson, VA.
[6] DeHart, Sara S. (2011). Bone and cardiac health: Are Vitamins K1 and K2 the missing links to the epidemic of osteoporosis and arterial calcification?
[7] Seeman, E.M.D. et al (May 2006). Strontium Ranelate reduces the risk of vertebral and nonvertebral fractures in women eighty years of age and older. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research, 21 (7) 113–1120.
[8] Romo, Christine and Salahi, Lara (March 9, 2010). Fosamax: Is long term use of bone strengthening drug linked to fractures? (Diane Sawyers Good Morning America).

Sara S. DeHart, MSN, PhD is Associate Professor Emeritus University of MN, School of Nursing. She also served as a Visiting Scholar University of WA. She currently resides in the Northwest and writes about various issues including public health and public policy. See substituting deception for sound public health policy, in Jerry Barrett’s (2004) Big Bush Lies, Riverwood Books (117–128). She welcomes questions and can be contacted at dehart.ss@frontier.com.

By Sara S. DeHart, MSN, Ph.D.

http://www.intrepidreport.com/archives/1246

March 25, 2011

Major questions, that need to be addressed about osteoporotic bone and arterial calcification, have fallen through the cracks. Why have vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) and vitamin K2 (menaquinone) not been part of the discussion regarding preventive measures for osteoporosis and arterial calcification? After all, it is now known that vitamin K2 is a calcium carrier that moves calcium from the blood into bone matrix, thereby strengthening bone and preventing calcification of the arterial lining, a dreaded complication of aging . . . hardening of the arteries. Has Western medical practice become so fixated on pharmaceutical fixes that obvious nutritional remedies are missed or underplayed?

Vitamin K1 is found in green leafy vegetables. Vitamin K2 is found in egg yolks, organ meats, fermented soy and cheese, thus making it less available to those following heart healthy dietary recommendations to avoid eggs, dairy, fish and animal flesh. Rarely do we find any other than the Japanese dipping into fermented soy (Natto), the plant source of vitamin K2. And while some vitamin K2 is made in the healthy gut, if the small intestine is compromised then even that source is questionable.

Hence vegans have a problem getting sufficient vitamin K2 but they are not alone; patients placed on Coumadin therapy that effectively destroys Vitamin K share a common medical side effect, arterial calcification.[1] This discussion is one that needs to take front and center and not be relegated to the back bench.

The silence from health care professionals about this topic is a most curious phenomenon because, during the 1980s, 1990s and into the 21st Century, Western trained physicians pushed high doses of calcium (1200–1400 mg per day) on patients, without considering the role of at least two vitamins (K1 and K2).

The calcium recommendations came from Standards of Care advocated by what is considered to be Best Practice Medical Care and followed by most, if not all health care practitioners. This recommendation has now been brought into question by the high rate of arterial calcification present in the American population among those following a Western diet and particularly among those receiving Coumadin therapy. Coumadin effectively removes vitamin K from the body; thereby preventing blood from clotting. While this is an effective therapy to prevent emboli (clot formation), it carries a high risk for arterial calcification and osteoporotic fractures. [2] [3]

Make no mistake there are valid medical reasons for some people to prevent emboli that can lead to strokes, but is Coumadin (warfarin) the best solution to fix this problem or is this therapy one that needs a new perspective? Are there better ways to prevent rapid blood clotting than by destroying the body’s store of vitamin K?

What does Vitamin K2 do for us? Recent research shows that Vitamin K2 is a calcium carrier that moves calcium from the arterial system to bone. If calcium does not move into bone, it tends to attach to the arterial vessel walls and causes arterial calcification, also known as “hardening of the arteries.”

One of the hallmarks of aging involves calcification of soft tissue throughout the body including heart valves, glands and blood vessels. But does this phenomenon necessarily need to be part of normal aging? According to several research reports the answer is a resounding no! As we age, we lose our ability to regulate calcium balance and then suffer the lethal consequences of systemic calcification. A low cost nutrient (Vitamin K2) can restore calcium homeostasis. [4]

The scientific literature is complex and often confusing because most of the earlier research was done on vitamin K1 (phylloquinone) that has to do with blood clotting. More recently the role of vitamin K2 (menaquinone) in calcium metabolism has been discovered and its role in both bone and cardiovascular health has emerged.

For example, in Japan, vitamin K2 has been successfully used to treat osteoporosis while the primary treatment in the U.S. is bisphosphonate therapy. These are two very divergent approaches to a problem that has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S., Canada and U.K.

Bisphosphonate therapy is pharmaceutical driven and carries a myriad of serious side effects while nutritional and vitamin supplement therapy is relatively inexpensive and appears to deal with underlying causation. Bisphosphonate drugs (Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva, and Reclast) are drugs that work by preventing osteoclasts from being removed from bone. All bone has two types of cells osteoclasts (that break down old bone cells) and osteoblasts (that reform and remodel bone). Bone homeostasis is maintained by a balance between bone resorption and formation.[5] If the pharmaceutical remedy prevents the breakdown of old bone cells then bone tissue will be brittle and prone to fracture. It is hypothesized that long term use of the bisphosphonate drugs may lead to spontaneous fractures of the femur (thigh bone), one of the strongest bones in the body.[6] In 2010, the FDA mandated that bisphosphonate drugs must now bear a warning label about the increased risk for two types of atypical femur fracture. [7]

Dr. Susan Brown, a nutrition specialist, has published a key article on bone nutrition. [8] It may be helpful for patients to come into their physician’s offices armed with key research findings as you have that conversation about treatments available to combat and prevent osteoporosis and arterial calcification. For example Brown reports:

• It is a well known fact that Vitamin K antagonists such as warfarin (Coumadin) double arterial calcification in humans.
• The decade-long, 4,800 person Rotterdam study documented that people who consumed the most vitamin K2 have a 50 percent reduced risk of arterial calcification. They also have a 50 percent reduced risk for cardiovascular events during this 10-year period.
• In 2009, a 16,000-person study by Gast and colleagues showed that the high intake of vitamin K2, but not K1 protected from cardiovascular disease.[9]
• A recent animal study by Schurgers and colleagues (2007) showed regression of warfarin-induced arterial calcification when given adequate amounts of vitamin K2.[10]

Brown also reports that Vitamin K2 can be produced in the body by certain intestinal bacteria; however, the long-term use of antibiotics compromises this process as well as anti-coagulant therapy.

So what are our options?

Can we safely introduce the topic of nutritional solutions for some very serious medical problems? Will our concerns be batted away like pesky mosquitoes? Will vitamin K2 in the form of MK-7 (natto based supplement) be discussed?

Will we be told that Vitamin K won’t solve our problems? Will bisphosphonate therapies continue to be recommended regardless of serious side effects?

In today’s medical and financial environment is a conversation even possible?

References

[1] Faloon. W. Protection against arterial calcification, bone loss, cancer and ageing. Life Extension Magazine (January 2009).

[2] Schurgers, LJ, Aebert H, Vermeer C. et al. (2004). Oral anticoagulant treatment: Friend or foe in cardiovascular disease? Blood: 104(10): 3231–2.

[3] Gage, BF, et al. (2006). Risk of osteoporotic fracture in elderly patients taking warfarin: Results from the national registry of Atrial Fibrillation 2. Arch Internal Med. January 23: 166(2): 241–6.

[4] Faloon. W. Protection against arterial calcification, bone loss, cancer and ageing. Life Extension Magazine (January 2009).

[5] DeHart, SS (2008; 2010). Strontium and Osteoporosis: A treatment not offered to American Women.

[6] Ott, SM (2005). Long term safety of bisphosphonates. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 90(3):1897–1899.

[7] Lowes, R. (October 13, 2010). FDA adds femur fracture warning to bisphosphonate labels.

[8] Brown, SE. Vitamin K: the overlooked bone builder and heart protector. Nutrition and Bone Health.

[9] Gast GCM, et al., (January 2009). A high menaquinone reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease in women.Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases.

[10] Schurgers LJ, et al. Regression of warfarin-induced medial Elastocalcinosis by high intake of vitamin K in rats, Blood,2007. 109(7): 2823–2831.

Sara S. DeHart, MSN, Ph.D. is Associate Professor Emeritus University of MN, School of Nursing. She also served as a Visiting Scholar University of Washington. She currently resides in the Northwest and writes about various issues including public health and public policy. See “Substituting Deception for Sound Public Health Policy” in Jerry “Politex” Barrett’s “Big Bush Lies,” (2004) Riverwood Books (117–128). She may be contacted at dehart.ss@frontier.com.